“Outside the Box” Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are, in my opinion, one of the most underrated vegetables. Okay, okay….it’s a starch so we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Can we, at least, give it credit for being a lesser of two evils? Okay then. Moving right along.

Seriously, I really enjoy the taste of a sweet potato. But I think people don’t think enough outside the box when preparing them. Enter my “Outside the Box” Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start by peeling, then cutting the sweet potatoes into about half-inch cubes. Once all the potatoes are cubed, toss them in olive oil until evenly coated.

In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in a spice blend of cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, ground pepper, ground cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Combine the spices before you add them to the sweet potatoes. It would be really unfortunate for someone to bite into a pile of cumin. This spice blend is no joke. It has a “southwest meets down south” flavor. Sweet potatoes are strong enough to stand up to the bold flavor.

If you want, it’s a good idea to make enough of this spice blend ahead of time so that you always have it in your cupboard. It’s really yummy on so many other things like chicken and steak.

Once the potatoes are coated in the mixture, transfer them to a baking dish. Try to get them in one layer for even browning.

Bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Take a peek. If you see browning starting to happen, flip them over. If not, give them another 5-7 minutes. Once you flip them, cook the potatoes for another 10-15 minutes. They should be golden brown and have a slight crisp to the edges. Once they’re done, pull them out and sprinkle them with a bit of parsley…only because it makes them look real pretty. Enjoy.